Inside Money Today

Meeting App

I regularly hold business meetings from my home office. As long as you turn your office into something that is reasonably professional, you don’t need to worry about appearing on video. I often use Google Hangouts or Skype when holding business meetings, but there are also other videoconferencing options like ClickMeeting

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

This tool is necessary if you want to better manage your customer/client relations. Good CRM software can help you manage leads, followups and more. Programs like those offered by Salesforce and Insightly can help you close more quality sales and analyze different factors to help you retain the customers you have.

Email Response Program

Building your list is one of the most important things you can do as an online business owner. Whether you are trying to build a newsletter list for your blog or whether you hope to build a solid list for sales and promotions, the right email response program can help. There are a number out there, but I use GetResponse on my websites.

Social Media Management App

Want to build your following and engage with customers and clients? Social media is the place to be. However, it can be time-consuming and tedious to manage your social media accounts. Putting it all in one place can be very helpful, as can scheduling.

There are apps like HootSuite and Oktopost that can help you schedule posts on various social media platforms, as well as run analytics to help you figure out what is working well for you.

Content Management System

You need a system for creating and managing content. There are a number of different strategies for building business content for your site, including content delivery. The most basic systems can be part of your WordPress site. There are plugins that help you manage editorial schedules and lets your team know what stage the content is at. Whether you put together a team to manage the content for you, or use some other system, you’ll need a way to efficiently assemble and distribute quality content.

Media Management Tools

Finally, don’t forget about media and visibility. One way to grow your business is to set yourself up as an expert. This means taking advantage of the tools available to you to connect with media. You might be surprised to discover that you can get good media coverage for you and your business with the right pitch.

Also, be sure to use various tools to track your mentions. The most basic is setting up Google Alerts for your business or your name. But there are also other media management tools like CustomScoop that can help you keep track.

When you have a plan to grow your business, the right tools can help you put your energy into more effective activities.